Losing or Winning the National Bio-Agro Defense Lab
Posted by StormWarning on 12 Oct 2007 at 06:03 pm | Tagged as: Current Affairs, Domestic Terrorism, Federal Policy, National Security, Opinions, Science, Technology
The decision on locating the new NBAF is still a year away. This week two of the five finalist sites showed how and how not to win the contract. Once again, the citizens of Granville County NC rose up against and the citizens of Manhattan Ks reinforced the proposal. The other locations, San Antonio Tx, Athens Ga, and Flora Ms remained quiet (may not be the best condition BTW - see below).
Even though he had grudgingly supported the initial proposal, Mayor Darryl Moss of Creedmore NC (a pottery town of 3000 people near the proposed site) said the night of the North Carolina DHS NBAF Public Forum, “I cannot say that I support this initiative. I’m really struggling. I made some commitments to support it, and I’m going back on my word, to some extent.” So this week (article dated October 10), Mayor Moss said:
“My thoughts were to support it and go along with the rest of the crowd,” he said in an interview the next morning. “But I sat there and looked at my neighbors and knew their concerns. I’m not a senator; I’m the mayor of a very small town. I have to live here and see these people every day. I couldn’t in good conscience support it.”
This week, Moss is asking the Creedmoor Town Council to pass a resolution opposing NBAF, as the lab is known.
Apparently Moss (and some others) was spooked by the release of a new report, U.S. labs mishandling deadly germs. This article indicated that there have been more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003, raising questions about the safety of these activities.
Associated Press review of reports to federal regulators describes accidents involving anthrax, bird flu virus, monkeypox and plague-causing bacteria at 44 labs in 24 states. More than two-dozen incidents were still under investigation. The number of accidents has risen steadily. Through August, the most recent period covered in the reports obtained by the AP, labs reported 36 accidents and lost shipments during 2007 — nearly double the number reported during all of 2004.
Of course it is interesting that North Carolina already has a Level 3 facility…the State Laboratory of Public Health is the only BSL-3 laboratory in NC that is a designated part of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) for the purpose of testing and reporting laboratory analysis of suspected bioterrorism samples…in fact, I’m wrong…North Carolina has dozens of level 3 facilities in government, academic, and private sector sites.
Despite assurances, the Granville Non-Violent Action Team (GNAT) has vowed to do to the NBAF what it has done before…defeat repeated government attempts to place undesirable projects in their neighborhoods: an atomic-particle super-collider in the late ‘80, a hazardous waste incinerator in 1990, and a low-level radiation waste facility in 1995.
I covered this about a month ago, NBAF Update - Research Triangle Citizens Raise Questions. Frankly, I think you can cross North Carolina off the list…they’re toast.
How do you win (or at least keep your chances alive)? Its very simple…take a look at the Kansas proposal. Aside from hoping that the community will support the coming of the NBAF to its area, make certain that the federal politicians from both parties support the lab, not just vocally, but in writing. Following the closing of the public comment period (after the local meetings, people were allowed to write letters pro/con):
…six prominent Kansans — members of the state’s congressional delegation — made their support for the project known in a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Their conclusion: Kansas is the best home for the potential $450 million project.
“Kansas has demonstrated the research capacity, strong public support and necessary infrastructure to meet DHS’ requirements to fulfill and implement NBAF,” members of the delegation said in their letter, released Friday. “We urge your careful consideration of both the Kansas proposal and look forward to ensuring the success of NBAF in Kansas.”
Signing the letter were U.S. Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; and U.S. Reps. Nancy Boyda and Dennis Moore, D-Kan.; and U.S. Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan.
That’s a lesson for every one of the proposed competing sites. Strong public support from the community is important…a good location with infrastructure is important…but political support (read that as personal influence by the federally elected state-wide officials…Senators and Representatives) may end up being the deciding factor. I don’t know the names of the U.S. Reps. from Kansas, but the names of Senators Brownback and Roberts (both Republicans) are well-known. Note that the Mississippi proposed site in Flora (a town of 1550 people), the one that I handicap as the real longshot, has the support of Governor Barbour, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Republican Senators U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss, as well as Parney Albright, former head of Science and Technology at DHS. Imposing political support. Senators Hutchison and Cornyn have both been vocal supporters of the San Antonio Texas proposal, along with lots of local political support. Not sure who is lined up behind the Georgia proposal.
Its going to be a horse race down to the wire. I’m not ready to handicap the race yet…its too soon.
Crossposted at Real Clear Politics - please “vote”
Biosafety Level 3, Biosafety Level 4, Flora Miss., Granville North Carolina, Manhattan Kansas, Mayor Moss, National Bio Agro Defense Lab, NBAF
??? - There are only 30 residents opposing the North Carolina proposal. The entire Butner town council supports it - the County Commission - the entire North Carolina Congressional Delegation. Do your homework before you start crossing people off the list.
Kelly, do yo have any idea of how many “only 30″ people are when it comes to this decision? Especially when other areas, two that I am aware of, have far fewer people who are vocally against? One of the primary decision points in where the Lab will go, will be the levels of community support (and that includes the levels of outspoken negatives). NC ain’t got it!
I’ll bet you based on everything I’ve heard and read (did you read the articles?), that NC doesn’t have a chance.
Plus, your first comment was edited out.
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You think Community support means the community of Creedmoor? No way - this isnt even going to Creedmoor. Its going to Butner. And you listened to what DHS said - community acceptance is not limited to the residents of the community. There is a broader community of stakeholders — Don’t we want this thing to succeed? Do we really think that the federal government would put this NBAF somewhere that if security were a concern? I have some goats in Granville county and I have no problem with the NBAF.
No Kelly, I don’t limit it to just those in Creedmore who are opposed. But in its entirety, opposition is opposition. And I am well aware of the DHS comments on community acceptance.
I’ll still bet you an Internet beer that NC isn’t the location.
BTW, thank you for keeping it clean and non-insulting this time.
I just wanted to make a few points:
1. Mayor Moss is one of the only local politicans opposed to the facility. The mayor and town council of Butner and the county commission is in full support.
2. I was at the public meeting when Homeland Security came down and we had Sen. Burr, Rep. Miller and Rep. Price (Chair of Homeland Security Appropriations) all personally speak in favor of the facility. I think NC has some strong political support in DC which you didn’t mention in your blog.
3. The opposition group is pretty radical and I understand they are being funded from some national group. I’m betting there are people like this in a lot of states who are just against change in general.
I would really like to hear more about why you think Texas and Kansas look so perfect. Political support is important but it depends on which politics you choose. Each state has its own strengths. I say that politics is going to be the deciding factor only if all other factors are equal. We haven’t even seen what the environmental team thinks about each site - there is still a long way to go in this race.
I never said or wrote “perfect.” I was pointing out what I see (or hear) to be the deficiencies. I was not at the North Carolina meeting, were you? However, I know someone who was, and the description that I got was not a pretty picture.
And without a doubt, it is way too early to get any idea of how it will turn out. Frankly, I’m not too sure how much information is actually going to be disclosed befor enext October when the decision is made.
I was at the meeting. Like I said I have a direct stake in this Center because I live RIGHT THERE. I have done my homework.
…implying that I have not done my homework? I have…I might not have researched NC as well as you would have liked, but I have a “rooting” interest as well…and I go by what an “eye witness” saw. So we’ll see in a year.
Who are you rooting for? Did your eye witness stay until 1:00 am when the meeting ended?
Yes, as far as I know, the “eye witness” stayed til the very end.
If you read my posts on the NBAF, you’ll find out who I am rooting for (it’ll be pretty obvious). But in reality, I am rooting for the country to choose the best location for this very important research facility.
You’re very right, the final selection is not just based on politics (it doesn’t matter which side of the political spectrum either - one of the cut sites proves that given its political connections)…but frankly if you were handicapping it just on politics, I’d be betting on Mississippi…Rep. Price being from NC doesn’t ensure anything. What also matters is infrastructure (existing), commitment and capability to build new infrastructure, experience (with bio-hazard “stuff”), medical infrastructure and a few other things.
OK so you are from Texas - yes I actually went back and read all of that stuff! I am looking forward to polite, friendly banter about the NBAF over the next year because lets face it there are only a few of us out there that actually understand what this facility really is…
Oh and I forgot - North Carolina has all that stuff you are talking about - infrastructure, medical and animal facilities, personnel etc…Oh yea and we picked up a few of your soldiers during BRAC!
“…actually went back and read all that stuff!”??? Please Kelly, it wasn’t that badly written
However, as far as I can tell, NC doesn’t have an existing BSL4.
Also, did ya read that the DHS is investing $30 million in improving the Plum Island facility?
Sen. Schumer says Plum Island lab may remain open
Yes, but they have to invest all that in PI because a constructed NBAF is still 7 or so years away and with the crumbling infrastructure at PI they have to upgrade it enough to continue the current research. No - we don’t have a BSL4 … but one is coming soon…
Perhaps so…but having existing BSL 4’s shows capability and community acceptance.
The PIAC question is an interesting one since the surrounding population has never been happy with it being there. And despite Schumer’s comments, neither he nor Sen. Clinton or the local Congressional staff wants it to stay there. The fact that the DHS has left the door open to making no change is still an intriguing hedge.
And the NBAF is supposed to be built and operaitonal in 2012. The plan is for a 4 year build.
Hi stormwarning liked the post. I’m not sure where the “30″ in opposition came from. But I am a resident of Butner and just wanted too clarify some facts, NO ONE I have spoken with in the days since the scoping hearing supports this lab. The scoping hearing was a set-up PR event to sale the idea. It was not intended to allow opposition or public comment. You aren’t hearing the opposition because the Ncc-Nbaf are actively doing everything they can to surpress our voices. “The opposition group is pretty radical” I’m laughing ROFLOL. Yes we are real radical alright. I’m a blogger/law student other members are Drs.,Ph’d’s, Rn’s,Pharmacists and farmers, cattleman yes we are the radical fringe, whatever. Just very good people. No one has asked the opinion of Butner the people responsible for funding the infrastructure. The Town conucil was the Advisory board we they put up support for this lab> Butner was unincorporated when the bid to bring it here was placed. We are incorporated now and things are getting heated. I hope you are right about the site going somewhere else we would welcome that. Oh yeah and If the lab comes here there will be plenty of land for that chicks goats because alot of people have declared they will relocate. take care love your blog.
Question of source
Just wanted to say that the 750 people so far from Butner who have signed the petition to oppose the NBAF is a few more than the 30 mentioned in the earlier response. As you may know, Granville County Commissioners (the home county of the NC site) has now withdrawn support. Members of Butner Town Council are reviewing this issue again as is Durham County(Durham county had apparently been listed by the NC Consortium as in support whereas, they had not been on record as being in support– apparently the NC Consortium has been asked to remove Durham County from their website). Safety issues, ethical issues ( Butner has 6000 institutionalized people within 2 miles of the proposed site which would make an evacuation or quarantine problematic), and environmental issues (the site is in the middle of the watersheds for the water sources for Raleigh, Durham, Butner and Creedmoor) are all problems that Dept of Homeland Security refuses to answer — directing everyone to their skimpy website.NOT in North Carolina: On Monday January 14th, 2008 over 400 local citizens met in Butner North Carolina, near the proposed site of the NBAF Defense Facility. Residents of North Carolina do NOT want this type of Biological Weapons Laboratory located here. The proposed site is very close to the State Capitol of Raleigh and it’s Falls Lake Water Supply, the City of Durham and it’s Water Supply and the RTP technical and business region just a few miles down the road.
If the NBAF were to be located here and a single Virus such as Nipah or Hendra viruses were to be released from the NBAF lab area for any reason — the North Carolina Capitol region with over 2 Million residents and many major corporations would be contaminated with NO CURE available whatsoever. There would be nothing that Doctors or other medical professionals could do to save the people here.
Citizens of North Carolina are well aware that ACCIDENTS at BSL-4 laboratories happen frequently, we are well aware of the disasters that have happened in other areas and other countries — we do NOT want this to happen here in North Carolina !!
The citizens of this area of North Carolina DO NOT WANT the RISK of the NBAF being located in such a heavily populated area as we live in here.
Raleigh North Carolina Citizens do not want to be a SACRIFICE ZONE for Biological Weapons development.
thank you,
Ron Howell
Professional Engineer
Concerned Citizen of North Carolina
Ron, in all due respect. You guys (y’all) don’t get it. This is not a weapons lab. You can raise any other objection that you want for this facility, but get it out of your heads that it is a weapons lab. It is more like a countermeasures lab.
I’d also like to see you support the claim about BSL-4 accidents happening frequently.
We can start with a few such deadly Accidents where the worlds most dangerous virus and germs were released:
Frequent Accidents Endangering and Killing People
Q Fever June 2007 in Texas
Brucella April 2007 in Texas
Tuberculosis various lab failures and leakages
Anthrax various lab failures and leakages
Tularemia US lab failure
Pandemic Influenza US lab failure
Foot in Mouth major disaster in England
Foot in Mouth second such event in England
Sars deadly release in China
this is only a short list, there is a long history of
accidents and lab virus releases that could be referenced.
One that I was personally involved and exposed to was from Edgewood Arsenal where deadly agents were released by accident ( human error ), resulting in the removal of all deadly agents from Edgewood Maryland and relocation of all biological agents to Dugway Proving Grounds in the Desert of Utah.
There are many more examples out there, how many do we need to understand that the agents that this lab would handle would threaten large populations such as the Raleigh, Durham, Butner and surrounding area water sources serving our neighbors and friends.
How many times do labs have to fail in order for us to understand that labs are not perfect and do fail often.
Bringing Viruses to Butner that have never been on this continent will put the citizens here at a tremendous risk. If this lab will be functioning for the next 30 or more years it is an unmistakable truth that the probability of an accident here is this area is an ACCIDENT WAITING to HAPPEN.
How many people have to die in order for us to wake up and understand that complex labs can and do fail often.
We all care about North Carolina and do not want our home to be considered disposable or a Sacrifice Area.
Let me ask you a simple question now:
If any one of these Virus agents were to be released from the NBAF, for any reason, could the medical community do anything to save our people ?
The answer is clearly NO. Nothing could be done to save our people, our friends and neighbors. There is no cure for virus agents that are potentially coming to the NBAF lab if it were to be built in a heavily populated area such as the RTP area.
There is no wisdom in thinking that labs such as the NBAF are flawless and that errors would not take place. Any error in these labs will destroy life.
I’m willing to learn Ron, but aside from the fact that you’ve leave it up to anyone but you to provide the direct links to the assertions that you’ve made, notwithstanding that the TAMU situation is well known and the Sunshine Project writes about it (but it is also known that the Sunshine Project is a watchdog activity that is essentially against anything like the NBAF)…you characterize the hoof and mouth outbreak in the UK as a disaster…that’s an overstatement.
You claim an outbreak of “pandemic flu at a US lab” (which lab? and what flu? Avian???)…
You write, SARS “deadly release” in China? Released from where? Wasn’t SARS caused by a virus in feral cats???
As for the “deadly agents” from Edgewood Arsenal, what agents? Are you referring to the nerve agent release in the 60’s?
Do you know the purpose of the NBAF? Personally, I see your rant as unsubstantiated alarmist negativity. If its up to you, there will be no NBAF anywhere, regardless of location, right?
US Government’s own Findings state that BSL-4 Labs are having Accidents on a Regular Basis:
In February 2004, at the USAMRID BSL-4 laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland, a researcher was exposed to Ebola after she accidentally pricked herself with a needle that contained the virus. This is one of the most experienced BSL-4 labs in the world, and even they have errors and accidents.
Our US Governments Own Study and Warning on the Danger:
Accidental release of disease agents are happening at an alarming rate at even the newest, most modern and most secure BSL-3, BSL-3Ag and BSL-4 labs. Congress recently held hearings to address its concerns about the proliferation – and lack of centralized oversight and monitoring — of BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories. The Government Accounting Office (“GAO”) performed an investigation in connection with those hearings, detailing recent examples of safety failings at such facilities. As noted in the GAO’s report, “[H]igh-containment labs have health risks for individual lab workers as well as the surrounding community.
The US Centers for Disease Control Warnings:
According to a U. S. Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) official, the risks due to accidental exposure or release can never be completely eliminated, and even labs with sophisticated biological research programs – including those most extensively regulated – have had and will continue to have safety failures.”
Accidents at Plum Island - One of our Most Experienced Labs in the United States:
The proposed NBAF facility will replace an existing facility in Plum Island, New York. In September 2003 – well after the attacks of 9/11/01—the GAO published a report detailing safety and security failures and shortcomings at the Plum Island facility:
Earlier in 2003, there was a strike by maintenance workers employed by private outside contractors. On the first day of the strike, striking workers sabotaged the water system, which is a key part of the decontamination process.
Plum Island did not have adequate controls over access to disease materials. Foreign scientists, students, contractors and visitors were found working in the biocontainment area without completed background investigations, or enough personnel to escort and monitor outside scientists and maintenance workers in the biocontainment area. Plum Island management failed to maintain adequate control over who received copies of keys and master keys.
Plum Island – which adjoins two different county law enforcement jurisdictions –could not predict which local law enforcement officials would be able to provide backup in the event of an emergency, and if there would be enough officers.
Plum Island has a long history of documented safety and security failures. For example:
At the time of Hurricane Bob, a short-circuit in Plum Island’s primary underground power line was still unrepaired after three months, and the backup overhead power lines blew down. For three days, only three workers were available to run the entire facility of hundreds of rooms and animals, trying to handle the wastes of large infected animals with a hand pump.
In 1978, nearly all of the animals on Plum Island were killed in an effort to contain a release of foot and mouth disease from the lab. In 1998, animals at the Plum Island facility caught foot & mouth disease in a part of the facility that was supposed to be isolated from the virus. In 2003, the disease again spread within the lab in two separate accidents, which were only reported a year later.
I would again pose the question:
If any one of these Virus agents were to be released from the NBAF, for any reason, could the medical community do anything to save our people ?
The answer is clearly NO. Nothing could be done to save our people, our friends and neighbors. There is no cure for virus agents that are potentially coming to the NBAF lab if it were to be built in a heavily populated area such as the RTP area.
There is no wisdom in thinking that labs such as the NBAF are flawless and that errors would not take place. Any error in these labs will destroy life.
I look forward to your recommendations on how we will protect the people of North Carolina, in light of the clear facts studied and reported by the US Government that we cannot keep accidents from happening on a regular basis at the BSL-4 labs the US Government currently operate. NBAF is to be a BSL-4 lab.
How would an Incurable Disease be handled in North Carolina when an Accident Happens here ?
How many people would have to die here ?
WHY would a BSL-4 lab here in North Carolina be any safer than the lab at Fort Detrick, Maryland or Plum Island ?
In light of the proven track record our Government has with our other BSL-4 labs, we can and should expect Accidents to Happen here in North Carolina.
It’s only a matter of time before an Accident happens.
Not IF an accident is going to happen , but when.
I think you would agree that our own Governent’s Studies can be trusted.
This is why many people here in North Carolina do not want the NBAF lab here in an area populated with over
2 Million People such as the Triangle area of North Carolina.
The Facts are clear.
The US Goverment itself did the studies.
The US Government itself tells us there is high risk.
The US Government would never mislead US Citizens.
Ron, I’m sure that you’re not going to like this response, but here it goes anyway.
1) Clearly, you are against the NBAF, whether its in NC or anywhere else…I am a bit confused since my web tracker indicates that you’re not from NC…it shows you as being “up North” and your IP address is from an ISP based in Florida.
2) You quote things that occurred and never provide a link to the information, therefore, you leave me and everyone else in a position to either have to look up the information themselves to confirm it, or accept what you’ve typed as fact (as far as I am concerned, some of what you write is alarmist and exaggeration, and also screams conspiracy theory).
I’m sorry, but without you providing links to the information that you claim, I’m not interested…I won’t do your research for you. Facts are not facts just because you say that they are…If you want to make claims of “fact” then support them. Unless I see that, then I can only conclude that you are associated with the group of people in NC who are contacting people in the other locations and trying to cause trouble.
Actually I live , work and raise my family right here in the Granville county area. I work in RTP each day and drive past the Butler site very often. My son practices wresting here in the Butner Elementary school gym each week with the Granville Area Athletic Association. I have a son attending South Granville High School in Creedmoore.
I’m a long time North Carolina resident and think this area of our state is a wonderful place to live.
My wife and I are raising our four children and want them to have a safe and healthy future here in our home area for many years. They should not have to be afraid of a Biological Lab Disaster in their own back yard.
I am not associated with any group except my church, I am however someone who knows that a BSL-4 Laboratory that will be handling bio hazards such as this has not place being located so close to our lakes, cities and the over 2 Million neighbors we all have here.
Yes I am a Carolina fan ( UNC ) but don’t hold that against me. ( grins )
Your IP trace is not accurate, probably because the company I work with is inside a series of firewalls and our IP addresses are not public IP addresses they are Nat translated addresses.
If you drive down Route 40, I work right off of Page Road in the RTP area.
The facts I mentioned above speak for themselves, take them as you wish. They are clearly accurate and provided by the best sources possible, our US agencies tasked with the job of protecting all of us.
The source of the details that I listed above is our own US Government itself and it is all readily available to you as I am sure you already know.
The lab failures noted are all public knowledge now and any thinking citizen can see the truth in what I offered here.
The only message I wanted to share here is that there is significant and well documented Risk involved with this lab and I do not believe that it belongs in a highly populated area on the main land of the United States due to the bio hazard it poses to everyone here.
I want my children to have a future here free of the threat of Biological contamination and the death that it will bring to innocent people. I am a concerned parent.
best wishes to you,
Ron
Oh by the way, here are some sources of information readily available to anyone.
See Section III of Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (5th Ed. February 2007), jointly published by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health.
See, e.g., “Contracting-Out at USDA Found ‘Shoddy’ by Congress,” The Government Standard, February 1981; “US Sues Over Work at Plum Island Lab,” Long Island Traveler-Watchman, March 4, 1982; Grand Jury Indictment: United States of America v. Joseph Morton Company, Inc. et al., United States District Court, Eastern District of New York.
See, e.g., “U.S. labs mishandling deadly germs: Number of accidents involving anthrax, other toxins increasing, review finds,” MSNBC.com (October 2, 2007).
See High-Containment Biosafety Laboratories: Preliminary Observations on the Oversight of the Proliferation of BSL-3 and BSL-4 Laboratories in the United States (October 4, 2007) (hereafter, “High-Containment Laboratories”, published by the GAO, at p. 14.
Press release: “Homeland Security Selects Texas A&M University and University of Minnesota to Lead New Centers of Excellence on Agro-Security” (April 27, 2004).
High-Containment Laboratories at pp. 15, 33, 34.
High-Containment Laboratories at Introduction.
Allison Young: “E-mails outline CDC backup power flaws. One expert: Failure to heed warnings a “grave breach of responsibility.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 24, 2007, p. A1.
High-Containment Laboratories at p. 21.
“SARS Alert Likely to be Eased in New Year,” China Post, December 20, 2003; CDC Taiwan: “A Report on the Laboratory-Acquired SARS Case in Taiwan,” January 7, 2004.
David Brown: “SARS Cases in Asia Show Labs’ Risks,” Washington Post, May 24, 2004.
“Texas A&M Bioweapons Accidents More the Norm than an Exception.”
John Dudley Miller, “US Lab is Sent Live Anthrax,” The Scientist, June 11, 2004.
Barbara Starr, “Researcher Isolated After Possible Ebola Exposure,” CNN, February 19, 2004.
See Combating Bioterrorism: Actions Needed to Improve Security at Plum Island Animal Disease Center (September 2003), published by the GAO.
Michael Carroll, Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government’s Secret Germ Laboratory (HarperCollins Publishers 2005), at pp. 191-206.
John Rather: “Plum Island Reports Disease Outbreak,” New York Times, August 22, 2004.
best wishes to you my friend.
thanks,
Ron
OK, so for now, since I don’t have the time to follow all of the sources (which I appreciate), I do accept.
That not withstanding, does that mean that you are equally concerned about your proximity to nuclear facilities? I believe that there are 3 in NC. And what happened in Goldsboro in 1963? Concerned about TUNL? And North Carolina State University Nuclear Reactor Program? Remember 3 Mile Island?
The point I am making is the the NBAF is a countermeasures program…it is there to research and develop the things we do if something happens. Further, it is there to study animal diseases. The safety and protection provisions are taking advantage of all of the mistakes that have been made.
Still, answer this question, please. You are against the NBAF no matter where it is, right?
By the way, I like Western NC myself…over near 441…also in the Nantahala.
Yes I am concerned about major populations being put at risk. I would no more want to live next door to a Nuclear Factory than I would a Biological / Viral agent Factory. I don’t think either one belongs anywhere close to large populations.
I think Erich Traub had it right when he selected the Plum Island site for Biological Warfare development.
He stated then that Biological Warfare research should never be located on the main land of the US. The US Government agreed with him then and Plum Island was born as an OFF SHORE laboratory.
As we study the history of Plum Island we understand that much of the development done at Plum Island had errors, leakages and agents getting out of the labs.
This is clear and well documented. The only thing that protected the United States was the fact that Plum Island was just that, an Island, there was a physical barrier separating the United States Mainland population from the research going on at Plum Island.
If there needs to be an NBAF as part of United States Research efforts I would recommend it be located off shore and possibly be located at Plum Island along with the other work going on there. I would propose an off shore site as far away from large populations as possible. Either Plum Island or somewhere even more remote.
We all know the US Government is going to build the NBAF somewhere. Let’s just not put it anywhere near large populations and not on the main land of the United States.
There are well over 2 Million people living and working in the Triangle Area of North Carolina where I live. Too many Americans to be put at daily risk for the next 30 + years.
The NBAF lab would be too high of a risk to take on the main land of the US and so close to major population centers such as we have here.
What Plum Island is today the NBAF site will become. However NBAF will be much larger and as such put us at an exponentially higher daily risk.
Here is an interesting and brief story about Plum Island that you may find interesting. Would you take your own family and children to Plum Island ?
We have four wonderful children and I would like to see them have a future without fear of Biological / Viral Infection with Diseases that have no cure. No child should have to fear that for the rest of their lives.
best wishes,
Ron
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wDyHJWLqyk